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Beanie's Sports A Lot Of Art

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By ELAINE MARKOWITZ Tribune correspondent

Published: December 26, 2007

RUSKIN - When brothers Beanie and Frank Tichy purchased an old bar in Ruskin in 2000, they knew they would transform it into more than it was.

"It was an existing bar with a bad reputation," said Beanie Tichy one recent morning. "It was a rough place."

The brothers, who have lived in the Ruskin area since the late 1960s, said they remembered going to neighborhood bars with their grandfather. They had a different concept in mind - a sports pub with food and a family feel to it.

In 2003 the two added a menu, a game room and an artistic atmosphere created by Frank Tichy, who holds a degree in fine arts from the University of South Florida. Beanie's Family Sports Bar was born.

"We went through a metamorphosis," said Frank Tichy.

The bar has an array of treats to offer lunch and dinner crowds. Patrons will find beer and wine, freshly made food and original art that dominates every nook of the place from table tops to counters to the collages neatly hanging over the booths.

The two men speak with pride of their menu, much of which is prepared by Beanie Tichy.

"We use all fresh foods and family recipes," Frank Tichy said. "We make dressings from scratch, our own potato salad and slaw, and fry our own potato chips."

Beanie Tichy said the bar has earned a reputation for its Reuben sandwiches, tasty concoctions typically made with beef, Swiss cheese, rye bread and salad dressing. The sandwiches are served cold or grilled.

Most notable is the art - an array of color woven into sports themes.

Frank Tichy constructed all the table tops and booths, emblazoning them with colorful tiles representing different sports. On one table a blue-and-white-tiled New York Yankee baseball cap is dominant. On another looms a giant soccer ball. Fish are jumping on yet another, in tribute to the area's fishermen. A table dedicated to NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt features a car and Earnhardt's number - 3.

Tables are crafted in familiar forms. One is shaped like a large football, painted brown with white stitching. A giant hockey stick table bends slightly in a corner of the bar. One niche appears to be the interior of a pirate ship, in homage to the Buccaneers. The table top is adorned with the familiar skull and crossbones along with cartoon characters, such as Spider-Man, for younger visitors.

Collages over booths hang in rectangular frames. All were created by Frank Tichy using memorabilia brought to the bar by customers. Among the items encased behind glass are old baseball cards, autographed baseballs, newspaper clippings and photos.

"Some of this is worth a lot," Frank Tichy said of these personal treasures.

On the countertop at the bar, a patron will find wood-burned designs painted over in colorful inks.

Teams pop up on the counter, with images depicting the University of Florida Gators, the Tampa Bay Rays and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, among others.

Frank often uses a method of painting inspired by French artist Marcel Duchamps, an early 20th century surrealist. Duchamps called the method "canned chance."

"I call it free-falling abstract expressionism," Frank said, "but it's the same thing."

The technique works by dripping paint, in Frank Tichy's case onto a table top rather than a canvas. He said he works with the paint where it falls, creating his image as he can.

"I couldn't replicate my own work," he said of the one-of-a-kind table top designs.

Out of the brightly dripped colors, baseball players Johnny Bench and Jose Canseco appear to have sprung to life, along with race cars in motion.

The Tichy brothers are committed to making a difference in the community, particularly in helping children. The family Christmas tree in one corner of the bar is strung with ornaments, each displaying the name and age of a child in need. The brothers secured the names of the children from a local school.

"We wrap the gifts ourselves to make sure we know that the present fits the child," Beanie Tichy said.

He added that the proceeds from the bar sometimes are used to help families. "We have about four different families that we take care of right now," he said.

The bar is a family affair in all respects. The brothers' sister, Dawn Tichy, keeps the books, and Beanie's wife, Debbie, is in charge of schedules. She also creates fliers.

"I'm a full-time nurse," she said. "In my free time I'm here."

"We are doing well," said Debbie Tichy. "We're family-oriented and we want to be a big hit in Ruskin."

BEANIE'S FAMILY SPORTS BAR

OWNERS: Frank and Beanie Tichy

WHERE: 2002 U.S. 41 S., Ruskin

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday

INFORMATION: (813) 649-1700

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